Ubani - West Village — Restaurant in New York

I recently visited UBANI, a Georgian restaurant, and wanted to share my thoughts. We were invited by friends who had dined there twice before and spoke highly of it. Our reservation was for 6-6:30 PM, and we were seated early without any issues.

The first impression, however, was dampened by how closely the tables were arranged. The space felt cramped, making it difficult to move without disturbing nearby guests. Even simple tasks like the server refilling water or taking orders caused noticeable inconvenience to others. The couple seated next to us appeared visibly annoyed, which affected the atmosphere.

Once seated, our server greeted us, handed out menus, and took our orders. One odd thing stood out: she didn’t write anything down, relying entirely on memory. While this might work for simple orders, it seemed risky given the complexity of ours. She appeared somewhat inexperienced, which became evident later when my order was forgotten.

Our group of four ordered in turns, and I specifically requested a chicken dish, repeating it to ensure clarity. However, when the food arrived, my dish was missing. After waiting 10-15 minutes, I flagged down the server and asked about it. Her response—“Do you want another chicken?”—was puzzling. I clarified that I didn’t want a second order but rather the one I had originally placed. It was clear she had forgotten to include it.

The manager stepped in to address the issue. I explained what had happened, and he apologized, offering to prioritize the dish. Since we were short on time, I declined but accepted his offer to prepare it to-go, free of charge. While this gesture was appreciated, it didn’t compensate for missing out on dining with my friends.

Another major issue was the noise from one particular table. Although UBANI is a restaurant, not a bar, the group’s laughter and conversation were so loud that it disrupted the entire dining room. Even raising our voices, we struggled to hear each other. Other diners also seemed irritated by the commotion.

I asked our server if the manager could request the group to lower their volume slightly. The server spoke with another staff member and later returned, saying, “I’m sorry, but we can’t ask them to be quieter because they’re guests too.” This response felt dismissive and unprofessional. While I understand the need to treat all patrons fairly, allowing one group to ruin the experience for everyone else seemed like a failure in customer service.

Even a small gesture—pretending to address the issue or offering reassurances—would have been better than outright refusal. The management’s inaction left us feeling disregarded.

A smaller, less critical issue was the order in which dishes were served. For instance, my wife ordered a salad and khinkali, while our friends ordered appetizers and mains. Her salad arrived with the appetizers, but the khinkali didn’t come until much later, leaving her watching others eat their mains. A simple question about serving preferences could have avoided this.

Despite these shortcomings, I would return to UBANI. The food we did try—like the khinkali and salad—was exceptional, and my friends were happy with their meals. I’m eager to experience the dishes I missed, especially the highly praised khinkali.

That said, the visit was overshadowed by the noise and my missing order. The loud group completely disrupted what was meant to be a quiet evening to reconnect with friends. The restaurant started with a calm, welcoming ambiance, enhanced by soft Georgian music. Unfortunately, the atmosphere shifted, affecting not only us but also a larger party nearby, who looked visibly annoyed.

For UBANI to truly shine, maintaining its serene atmosphere is essential. Allowing disruptive behavior risks turning it into something akin to a bar, which clearly isn’t its intended vibe.

I’ll give the restaurant another chance, but my first visit left me with mixed feelings. This is my...

This is a s a magical Georgian cafe in the west village. Everything IS homemade and with love. The owners David & Kevin are sweet, kind, informative and make everyone feel at home. Great music and good vibes here. In a city that has over 20,000 restaurants, most with mediocre and seriously inferior foods. This charming cafe offers the most delicious everything homemade with love & pride. breakfast served 7 days a week have many treats. Croissant breakfast sandwich , baked eggs, pastry with cheese and beans, & Eggs Benedict’s are pure heaven 4 or 5 varieties (i had salmon) only served on Friday, Saturday & Sunday. Lots more too. THE Best homemade croissants fresh & Hot in the morning. Get here early they run out and are so good when they are warm. Other magical Georgian pastries & sweet delights made by their expert pastry chef. They have something similar to a napoleon but its called a Paris Brest( A Paris–Brest is a French dessert made of choux pastry and filled with a divinely rich thick Chantilly cream. The whole restaurant is filled with delicious aromas and authentic Georgian magical foods. Excellent Matcha tea & Intelligentsia coffees . Chai too✨ Dinner menu is extensive, and would be impossible to choose. Come with a lot of people so you can try a lot of variety.. or be like me and order...

Hands down, one of the best restaurants in NYC. From the outside it may just look like a small cafe, but in addition to espresso, Cafe Ubani has an expansive menu of incredible Georgian cuisine. The flavors and textures are Michelin-star-worthy! We had the beet salad, cauliflower with walnut cream, cheese boat (essential!) and dumplings.

These dishes were so delicious because they had authentic flavors. Our amazing server (who is one of the owners) said the spices are so unique to Georgia that they have them imported directly from there - and if they don’t have the spice one day, then they don’t make the dish. They never compromise. I’ve been to other places where cheese boats are served and they’re so Americanized that you feel sick when you leave. Not here. Cafe Ubani does it beautifully! The cheese to bread balance is perfect. I left feeling satisfied and comfortable.

To top things off, we finished with the honey cake which was by far one of the best desserts I have had in years. I am already planning to go there for my birthday in April to have that cake again. Their pastry chef is amazing — whoever they are!

The service was fantastic, too. We really were amazed by...